Catapult



CATAPULT Filed Sept. 15, 1926 B. G.- FRY Oct. 16, 1928.

Patented Get. 16, 1928,

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

BYRON G. FRY, .OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNO R OF ONE-HALF TO E. R..

WILLIAMS, OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA.

CATAPULT.

Application filed September 13, 1926. Serial No. 135,1 63

My invention relates to catapults, and more particularly to a devicedesigned for shooting arrows, as in archery, and it has among itssalient objects to provide a device with which an arrow can be shotwithdeliberate aim at a target or other obj-ectand with a great force; toprovide a device 'in which elastic elements are used tor themotive powerinstead oi the bow; to'provide an improved body with arms so positionedas to'give clearance for the elastic elements whereby they pass underthe arms of the-device while'the arrowpasses above and between saidarms; to provide an improved gripping device. in connection with saidelastics whereby the end of the arrow is increasingly gripped as theelastics are pulled; and" to provide an improved means for the grippingof the device- Figure 2 is a side elevation'thereof on a] smaller scale.

Referring now'in detail to the drawings, my invention as here shown fordescriptive purposes comprises a body or handle, 1, wlth two arms, 2, 2,upwardly bowed as indicated,

with loops or eyes, 3, 3, at their outer ends. Said arms are shownprovided .with leather, or other suitable sleeves, '4, 4, near theirplace of attachment to the handle, 1, and upon.

- be formed or manufactured in any suitable manner. The ends of saidelastic elements are inserted through the eyes, 3, 3, of the arms, 2, 2,with little holding pins, '7, '7, inserted in the loop ends of saidelastic elements.

At the opposite ends of said elasticelements, 6, 6, I provide a handpiece and arrow gripper, preferably made ofsoft leather and comprisingtwo loops, 8, 8, stitched together at their top and bottom edges, as at8, whereby to i't'orm a receiving pocket therebctween for the end of thearrow, Said loops, 8, 8,

' also have two holes or eyes out through their outer. or end facesthrough which the ends of the elastics, 6, 6, are inserted, as'showmandprovided with holding pins, as 9, 9, whereby said elastics are easilyattached and detached both to the hand piece and to the ends of thearms. The head end of;the hand piece is provided witha'pocket inwhichispl'aced a seed, or other suitable article, 10, preferablytapering rearwardly, whereby to be readily gripper between the thumbandfore fin er for pulling the elastics into tensionand t en readilyslipping from the fingers when released without being turned ordeflected to one side or the other, in othe1"words,said knob simplyslips out in a direct line with the line or the stretched elastics.

As the hand piece is pulled back to the position indicated in lightbroken lines in Fig. 1, the end of thearrow is not only held in thepocket between the loops, 8, 8, but they rollor close together under thetensionand more firmly grip the end of the arrow and hold it firmlyuntil the elastics are released, whereupon the end of the arrow isreleased and thrown forwardly in a straight line.

moving over the sleeves, 4, 4, at the fork of the arms. The rear end ofthe arrow is provided with the usual feather, 11, indicated in Fig. 1 inedge View Thus I have provided a most eflicient and practical catapultfor shooting arrows-and while I have illustrated but one embodiment ofmy invention, I do not limit it to the de-' 1 tails of construction andarrangement shown, except as I may be limited by the hereto appendedclaims. 7

I claim:

1 A catapult ing in combination a handle with two arms extendinglaterally therefrom and forming an arrow-supporting fork therebet-ween,two

for shooting arrows includelastic elements connected to the outer endsof said arms, a hand piece connected to the i opposite ends of saidelastic elements, said hand piece having a special socket to receive 7the end of an arrow and a knob rearwardly of said pocket to be grippedbetween the thun'ib and finger in shooting an arrow, said arrowreceiving socket being formed of parts adapted to close upon said arrowas said hand piece is pulled.

2. A catapult for shooting arrows including a handle having two armsspread laterally therefrom and bent upwardly between their ends to giveclearance thereunder, said arms forming an arrow supporting forkthere-between, two elastic elements attached at their outer ends to theouter ends of said arms, a hand piece attached to the opposite ends ofsaid elastic elements and adapted to grip and hold the end of an arrowas said hand piece is pulled to tension said elastic elements, and meanson said hand piece for gripping it with the hand for pulling it totension said elastic elements.

3. A catapult for shooting arrows including a handle having two armsspread laterally with a fork formed therebetween to support an arrow,sleeves of soft material on said arms at the fork, elastic elementsattached at their outer ends tothe outer ends of said arms, a hand pieceof soft flexible material attached to the opposite ends of said elasticelements and having an arrow receiving pocket therein adapted tovtighten upon the end of an arrow inserted therein as said hand piece ispulled, said hand piece having a rearward part to be gripped between thethumb and finger of the hand.

4. In a catapult, in combination, a body having two armsprovided witheyes at their outer ends, elastic elements having their ends doubled andinserted through said eyes with holding pins in the folded parts outsideof said eyes to attach said elastic elements to said arms, and a handpiece at the opposite ends of said elastic elementshaving a pockettherein to receive the end of an arrow, said hand piece having openingsthrough which folded parts of said elastic elements are inserted withholding pins therein, and grip.- ping means on said hand piecefor-pulling the same to tension said elastic elements.

5. In a catapult, a body having arms pro vided at their outer ends witheyes, elastics of endless form having their folds through said eyes anda holding piece in the fold of each elastic to prevent it from pullingthrough said eye, a holding piece havingtwo loops, the opposite folds ofsaid elastics being inserted through the loops of said holding piece,and holding pieces through the folds of the elastics in said loops toprevent said elastics from pulling away from said holding piece.

Signed at Los Angeles, Los Angel'es County, California, this 7th day ofSept,

BYRON G. FRYw

